The SD Sportswriters Association announced its year-end winners for 2022. They are…
Sports Celebrity – Becky Hammon (LV Aces Head Coach)
- Won WNBA Title in 1st season as HC of Aces
Independent Male Athlete – Shane Van Boening (Rapid City billiards)
- Became the No. 1 ranked player in the world by the World Pool-Billiard Association. The 39-year-old has won over 100 titles in his career, and in April won the 2022 WPA World Nine-ball Championship in England.
Independent Female Athlete – Reese Jansa (SF golf)
- Won 2nd-straight State AA Title
Independent Team – RC Rush (hockey)
- Snapped 7-year playoff drought & fell in 2nd round of playoffs
College Male Athlete – Tanner Berg (NSU T&F)
- Won NCAA DII National Title in hammer throw
College Men’s Coach – Ryan Thompson (BHSU MBB)
- BHSU MBB won its 1st RMAC Tourney Title, got to the DII Tourney for the 1st time, and lost to NW MO in the Final Four
College Men’s Team – SDSU basketball
- Went 18-0 in the Summit League, 3-0 in the conference tourney, then fell to Providence in the 1st round of the NCAA Tourney
College Female Athlete – Elizabeth Juhnke (USD VB)
- Led nation in kills & points to help team make NCAA Tourney before they lost a tough 5-setter to Houston in a match that saw her get injured in the 4th set. She became the 1st Coyote to reach 2,000 career kills.
College Women’s Coach – Lindsay Wilber (DWU VB)
- Made the NAIA Quarterfinals for the 1st time & picked up five wins against Top-10 teams
College Women’s Team – USD basketball
- Went 17-1 in the Summit League & made it to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tourney for the 1st time. Took out Mississippi & Baylor in the tourney.
Prep Boys Athlete – Simeon Birnbaum (RCS runner)
- Set state records in the mile, 3200m, and 800m
Prep Boys Coach – Jake Terry (Elk Point-Jefferson FB)
- Won 11B title eight years after a winless debut season
Prep Boys Team – Wall football
- Won 9AA title – their 1st football title since ’94. The team fell in the semis the prior two years.
Prep Girls Athlete – Bergen Reilly (O’Gorman VB)
- Has played for the Team USA National Team and will continue her VB career at Nebraska
Prep Girls Coach – Molly Mason (Viborg-Hurley basketball)
- Won the State B Title as the 8-seed
Prep Girls Team – Pierre wrestling
- Seven of their ten wrestlers made the semis as they won the 1st-ever SD girls wrestling title